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after　the　fighting　was　done。　Thinking　of　this；　he　looked　around　for　Viess　and　Holtz。　Were　they　still
alive？　Still　fighting？
They　were。　Old　Smashbones　was　blasting　away　at　a　sturdy…looking　ork　tower　on　the　far　right。
Steelhearted　II　was　standing　parallel　with　van　Droi’s　tank；　its　turret　slowly　turning　to　face　the　ork
armour。
Wulfe　realised　that　his　own　crate　had　a　clear　line…of…sight　on　the　right…hand　target。
“Beans；”　he　said；　“target　the　one　on　the　right。　See　that　plate　of　armour　just　right　of　the　main
gun’s　mantlet？　The　one　with　the　glyph？”
“The　skull…looking　thing？”　said　Beans。　“Yeah；　I　see　it。”
“There’s　a　damned　good　chance　that　armour　is　protecting　the　gunner’s　station。　If　we　can　put　one
through　it…”
Beans　didn’t　answer。　He　hit　the　traverse　pedal；　already　busy　lining　up　the　main　gun。　Electric
motors　hummed　as　he　adjusted　elevation。　He　had　to　get　it　right。　A　miss　might　very　well　mean　more
Cadian　deaths。
“Lit；”　said　Siegler。
Beans　was　just　about　to　call　out　Brace！　when　the　whole　tank　was　suddenly　shunted　backwards
about　three　metres。　Wulfe　shook　his　head；　trying　to　lose　the　ringing　sound　in　his　ears。　They　had　been
hit　right　on　the　front　armour；　the　glacis　plate。
“Damn；”　spat　Wulfe；　simultaneously　checking　himself　for　injuries。　“Metzger；　you　all　right？”
“More　armour　approaching　from　front…right；　sarge；”　reported　the　driver。　“They　look　like　looted
Leman　Russ。”
“Try　to　hit　their　treads　with　the　lascannon；”　ordered　Wulfe。　“Buy　us　some　time。”
The　vox　was　filled　with　reports　of　the　new　machines’　approach。　Beans　was　already　reacquiring
his　original　target。　His　crosshairs　were　quickly　re…centred　on　the　skull…glyph　that　decorated　the
multi…cannoned　monster　to　the　north。
“I　have　it；　sarge；”　he　said。
“Take　the　shot；”　said　Wulfe。
“Brace！”　called　Beans；　and　stamped　on　the　floor　trigger。
The　shot　hit　the　ork　machine　exactly　where　it　was　supposed　to；　and　Beans　let　out　a　whoop　of
joy；　but　there　was　no　explosion；　no　sudden　burst　of　flame；　just　a　neat　black　hole　the　size　of　a
grapefruit　right　in　the　centre　of　the　skull…glyph’s　forehead。　The　ork　tank’s　turret　stopped　moving。　It
stopped　firing；　too。
“That’s　a　kill；”　said　Wulfe；　slapping　Beans　on　the　back。　Quickly；　he　turned　his　attention　to　the
machines　Metzger　had　reported。　Bright　spears　of　lascannon　fire　were　blazing　out　from　Last　Rites
II’s　hull…mounted　weapon。　The　Cadian　tanks　on　either　side　had　also　turned　their　attention　to　the
newcomers；　while　others　blasted　the　last　monster　in　the　avenue　to　the　north；　reducing　it　to　twisted；
blazing　metal。
Wulfe　was　impressed。　Beans　was　doing　well。　That　last　kill　had　been　a　fine　shot。　His　men　were
functioning　as　a　unit。　This　was　the　way　it　was　supposed　to　be。　Nothing　else　weighed　on　his　mind　but
the　heat　of　battle　and　the　drive　to　win。　No　ghosts。　No　gangers。　He　felt　less　burdened　than　he　had　in　a
long　time。
One　of　the　orks’　looted　Leman　Russ　tanks　soaked　up　a　lascannon　blast　and　lurched　forward；
coughing　flame　from　its　main　gun。　Dirt　and　smoke　exploded　into　the　air　just　a　few　metres　to　the
right　of　Wulfe’s　machine。
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“Gunner；　traverse　right；”　Wulfe　barked　over　the　intercom。　“Ork　armour；　eight　hundred　metres
and　closing。　Armour…piercing。　Fire　at　will！”
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CHAPTER　TWENTY
“Say　again；　Eagle　Three；”　said　Bergen　into　the　mouthpiece　of　his　vox…set。　“Say　again。”
“Eagle　Three　to　Command；”　said　the　sharp；　high　voice　of　the　female　pilot。　“Eagles　One；　Two
and　Four　are　down。　Where　the　hell　is　that　Hydra　support？　I　can’t　outrun　the　damned　ork　jets。　And　I
can’t　keep　them　off　the　Angel　on　my　own。”
“The　Hydras　are　almost　there；”　said　Bergen。　“Listen；　Eagle　Three。　I　know　you’re　up　against　it
out　there；　but　just　hold　on。　We’ll　have　triple…A　support　for　you　in　a　few　seconds。　You　should　be　able
to　see　them　now。”
“Two　on　my　tail。　Can’t　shake　them。　Wait…　By　the　Golden　Throne！”
“What　is　it；　Eagle　Three？”
“Command；　I　have　visual　on　a　massive　ork　horde　closing　in　from　the　south。　A　huge　number　of
vehicles。　The　land　is　black　with　them；　sir。”
“Confirm；　Eagle　Three。　Significant　enemy　force　advancing　from　the　south。”
The　vox　hissed。
“Eagle　Three；”　said　Bergen；　already　sensing　she　wasn’t　there；　“confirm　enemy　force　in　the
south。　Eagle　Three；　respond。　Oh；　for　frak’s　sake！”
Anger　welled　up　inside　him。　Bergen　had　fought　alongside　women　before。　There　were　Cadian
regiments　entirely　composed　of　the　so…called　fairer　sex；　though　they　tended　to　serve　on　Cadia’s
Interior　Guard　rather　than　off…world。　They　were　as　tough　and　ruthless　as　any　male　soldiers　he　had
known；　but　his　attitudes　were　still　old…fashioned　in　some　respects。　The　knowledge　that　a　woman
attached　to　Operation　Thunderstorm　had　just　been　killed　by　orks　stung　him　with　unusual　sharpness。
Eagle　Three　was　Navy；　and　there　was　no　love　lost　between　the　Navy　and　the　Guard；　but　she　had
hung　on　bravely　to　the　end；　as　brave　as　any　of　his　tankers。
If　he　lived　through　this；　he　swore　he　would　try　to　find　out　her　name；　to　make　sure　she　and　her
fellow　Vulcan　crews　were　honoured。
Commodore　Galbraithe　will　have　to　be　told；　he　thought。　Throne　help　the　poor　bastard　tasked
with　that。
Of　more　immediate　concern；　of　course；　was　Eagle　Three’s　last　report：　a　significant　ork　force
moving　north　towards　their　position。　It　had　to　be　the　host　that　Stromm　and　van　Droi　had　reported。
How　fast　were　they　moving？　When　would　they　arrive？　He　couldn’t　know。　And　all　the　forces　at　his
disposal　were　already　engaged　with　the　orks　on　and　inside　the　wall。　He　had　to　tell　deViers。　But
first…
“10th　Division　Command　to　Armour；”　he　voxed。　“Are　you　there；　Kochatkis？”
“I’m　here；　sir；”　said　Vinnemann。　“Go　ahead。”
“You　just　lost　close　support　from　the　Vulcans。　Thought　you　should　know。”
“I　saw　that；　sir。　The　fuselage　hit　just　a　few　hundred　metres　away。　Looks　like　those　bombers　are
swinging　around　for　a　run　on　us。”
“Can　you　see　those　Hydras？　They　should　be　all　around　you　by　now。”
“They’ve　just　joined　us；　sir；”　said　Vinnemann。　“We　lost　two；　but　four　of　them　are　still　in　the
game。　The　wind　is　stripping　our　smoke　cover　off　and　the　ork　artillery　isn’t　missing　us　by　much。　But
the　Hydras　will　be　a　real　surprise　for　those　bombers　the　next　time　they　make　a　pass。”
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“Let’s　hope　so；”　said　Bergen；　“but　there’s　something　else　I　have　to　tell　you。　We’re　being　flanked
from　the　south。”
“Flanked；　sir？”　asked　Vinnemann。　“What　kind　of　numbers？”
“Can’t　confirm　that；　but　from　the　sounds　of　it；　far　more　than　we　can　reasonably　handle。”
“Our　forces　have　breached；　sir；”　said　Vinnemann。　“There’s　no　way　we　can　fight　on　two　fronts
and　still　push　through　to　reach　The　Fortress　of　Arrogance。　What　does　the　general　say？”
“I’m　going　to　report　to　him　now；　Kochatkis；”　said　Bergen。　“Just　wanted　you　to　know。”
“Appreciate　that；　sir。　Armour；　out。”
DeViers　exploded　when　Bergen　told　him　the　news。
“They’re　bloody　what？　he　demanded。
“They’re　flanking　us　from　the　south；　sir；”　replied　Bergen。　“Last　transmission　from　Eagle　Three
stated　the　land　was　black　with　them。　Serious　numbers；　sir。　We’re　about　to　find　ourselves　between　a
rock　and　a　hard　place。”
“By　the　blasted　Eye　of　Terror！”　raged　deViers。　“Why　now？　We’ve　just　gained　the　breach。”
“If　I　might　suggest　something；　sir；”　said　Major　General　Killian。
“Out　with　it；　Klotus；”　snapped　deViers。
“Well；　sir。　It　seems　to　me　that　the　only　place　we　can　hope　to　fight　them　and　win　would　be　Red
Gorge。　We’d　be　cutting　it　fine　in　terms　of　the　time　left　to　us；　but；　if　we　could　effect　a　retreat　to　the
canyon　just　before　the　second　ork　force　arrives；　we　could　fight　them　on　a　much　smaller　single
front。”
Rennkamp　nodded。　“Straight　out　of　the　Tactica。　Engage　a　superior　force　at　a　bottleneck。　It
would　give　us　more　control。”
DeViers　eyes　were　so　wide　and　bug…like　with　anger　that　Bergen　thought　they　might　pop　out　of
his　head。　“Retreat　to　the　canyon？　And　turn　this　whole　thing　into　a　protracted　fight？　I　suppose　you
think　we　should　just　let　the　orks　patch　their　wall　up；　too；　so　we　can　waste　time　and　resources
attacking　it　all　over　again？　You　bloody　clods！”
Killian　and　Rennkamp　each　took　a　step　backwards。　“You　can’t　mean　to　fight　it　out　on　open　la